Causes of Decreased Car Oil & How to Overcome It

Have you ever experienced a sudden decrease in your car's engine oil even though you rarely use the car? So what are the causes of reduced engine oil and how can you address it? Here are the complete causes and solutions.

Causes of Reduced Engine Oil

Oil is a lubricant that serves to coat the components of the car engine to prevent wear during friction. The causes of reduced engine oil are usually due to several factors that you can observe in the car.

It is very normal for engine oil to decrease. Generally, engine oil will decrease by 10% during use or oil changes from the total oil volume. However, if the oil consumption is excessive, it could be caused by the following:

1. Leakage in the Engine Seal

What causes the engine oil to decrease? The first factor can occur due to a leak in the engine joint or seal packing.

This part is used in almost all types of motor vehicles, so if used for a long time, the seal can harden or even tear.

Therefore, if the seal is damaged or leaking, the engine oil will evaporate more quickly. To determine if the seal is leaking, you can check for oil seepage around the seal.

2. Damaged Piston Ring

Another sign of reduced engine oil is damage to the piston ring. A damaged piston ring is usually indicated by white smoke coming from the car's exhaust when the engine is started.

This occurs because during the combustion process, the oil also burns. The density of the smoke coming from the exhaust can serve as an indicator of how severe the damage is.

3. Damaged Piston Ring

The next factor is damage to the piston ring. If this component is damaged, the engine oil will seep into the engine during the combustion process, causing the engine oil to evaporate quickly and resulting in white smoke from the exhaust when the car's engine is started.

4. Poor Quality Oil

The cause of reduced engine oil without smoke could be due to poor quality oil.

The abundance of engine oil available sometimes confuses many people in determining which oil is good or bad.

Poor quality oil usually has characteristics that it is not heat resistant and expands quickly when used. This is what causes the oil to run out quickly.

How to Address Rapid Oil Consumption

After knowing the causes of reduced engine oil volume, here are ways to address rapidly depleting engine oil:

1. Replace the Engine Seal with a New One

The first step you should take is to check the condition of the engine seal. If the seal has hardened and torn, immediately replace it. Replace it with a new one to avoid oil leakage during the engine combustion process.

2. Replace the Damaged Piston Ring

Next, you can check the piston ring. If the piston ring is damaged, replace it immediately. The function of the piston ring is to prevent oil from seeping into the piston.

If damage occurs, oil will enter the engine's combustion chamber, causing white smoke from the exhaust when the car's engine is running.

3. Use Quality Oil

How often should you change the car oil? Ideally, every 2 months. Make sure to choose good quality oil. As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for,” this adage is indeed true.

Selecting quality oil that meets the specifications of the car will make the engine oil last longer.

This happens because quality oil is heat resistant, does not expand quickly, and protects engine components from wearing out quickly.

4. Regularly Check the Car Engine

The next step is to regularly check the car engine according to the maintenance manual from the car manufacturer. This way, you will better understand when to change the oil or replace damaged car components.

Hopefully, after knowing the causes of reduced engine oil and how to address them, you can perform maintenance independently.

However, if you are still unable to resolve the issue, take your car to the nearest Daihatsu dealer for professional handling.

Tips Sahabat